Confronting a Friend
by Cotto
Summary: Remember in the 'sleepover' episode of season 7 when Kennedy indicates through a conversation with Willow that she has a half-sister- what if we met this woman in season 3? This story takes that route. Don't worry, this story, while mentioning sexual misbehavior, doesn't have any of it in it. Please read, enjoy, and review.


**Confronting a Friend.**

_**By James Carmody.**_

**Disclaimer:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters therein are the property of Joss, and until he decides to sell or give written permission to sell stories to me, I cannot sell my works. I will not accept any money for this- Not One Red Cent! This is just for fun, and to convey a moral, as always with my works.

**Characters:** Willow Danielle Rosenberg, Kennedy (in this story that's her middle name- her name here is Jacqueline Kennedy Rodriguez), Faith Lehane, Alexander {Xander} Lavelle Harris. Possible characters: Elizabeth {Buffy} Anne Summers, Dawn Marie Summers, Rupert Gregory Giles, Rona, various other Potentials.

**Pairing(s):** Willow/Kennedy, and a sort-of platonic Faith/Kennedy (Don't worry, she's not promiscuous here, there's something else going on that I believe you'll enjoy between those two.)

**Author's Notes Story Beginning:**_ Remember when in the sleepover episode when Kennedy convinces Willow to accept her as her roommate? She and Will spend most of the night chatting, about, amongst other things: family. We learn in that episode that Kennedy has a half-sister. What if we met said woman in season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? This story takes that trajectory and adds in a plausible concept partially based on "Go Ask Malice"- the novel by Robert Josef Levy- those are giving credit where credit is due._

**Chapter 1.): Conversations.**

**Author's Notes Chapter 1 beginning:**_ There should be a pleasant surprise here, especially to those who delight (like myself) in platonic love, and familial relationships._

Jacqueline Rodriguez, better known to her friends, and just about everybody else, as Kennedy, for she never went by Jacqueline Rodriguez at all, in fact, she hated the name; sat down on the couch to her lover and girlfriend Willow Rosenberg's left. If Kennedy could snuggle with the 'cute redhead' all the time every day, believe me: she _**would**_! In fact, at age eighteen, Kennedy was madly in love with the pretty redheaded woman who, often enough, would bring her hot tea late in the day or evening.

There was, however, one thing that disturbed her about her girlfriend. That being Willow's apparent hatred of Faith. Oh, she had noticed that Willow had _genuinely __**tried**_ to be cordial with Faith whenever they were anywhere's near eachother, but she detected some kind of extreme dislike between the redhead and adored and the brunette she wanted a close friendship with. This kind of upset the young Latina. Love of others was one of the most important things to her in the world, and from remarks Kennedy had overheard- both her lover and her lover's best friend had a certain hatred of Faith Lehane.

As Kennedy sat next to her on the couch, Willow noticed her facial expression and asked her "Kenn-doll, what's bothering you?" for Kennedy had her hands in her lap and her head down, as if she were upset about something going on. Finally Kennedy looked up, feeling like talking it over. She had thought about the outfit she had on, and it kind of cheered her up. She was wearing her grey sleeveless t-shirt, brownish-grey pants, black shoes for hiking- the ones with laces, and she had her hair in assorted little braids; overall an appearance her lover told her often enough was gorgeous- that made her happy.

Kennedy seemed lost in her thoughts for a few minutes, then she spoke. "Will, Darling, I just want people to not talk about Faith like that." "Like what, Kennedy?" Willow asked, clearly confused and looking into her girlfriend's eyes. "You know." Kennedy said, trying to avoid hurting Willow's feelings, but her 'fogginess' had her failing miserably, and Willow's face seemed to reveal anger growing inside her against the Jewess's desires. "Um, no, Kennedy, I don't." Willow responded honestly, trying to keep her friendship going, fearing yet another lost lover- such an event destroyed her every time it had happened.

Kennedy took a big breath, and considered her words carefully before continuing. When she did continue, she began with "There seems to be an undercurrent of people thinking that it has been declared to be ok for anyone to call Faith either a slut, or a retard, or a murderess, or some other, any other, horrible insult that anyone wants to throw at her." Kennedy said, clearly uncomfortable with the constant insulting of this Brunette she wanted to defend. Willow scrutinized her woman for about a minute before responding…

"You don't know what she was like, back when we first met- yeah, she was cool, and friendly, but that was before her more psychopathic traits came to the fore in our senior year of High School. She betrayed us." Kennedy was taken aback, but only for a moment, she had been totally shocked at the accusations of betrayal and of psychopathy leveled towards Faith! "Will, my Love, I don't think you understand all that she's been through." Kennedy said, trying to defend this woman who the others in the house tended to think it was ok to bully, but since Willow clearly didn't understand Kennedy's reasons for doing this, she was failing miserably at her self-appointed mission to defend this person's honor.

"Willow, how do you think Dawn would feel if somebody, anybody by the way, started calling Buffy any of all those hateful names?" "Knowing Dawn, Kennedy, as I do, she'd probably punch the person right in the mouth… why, what's that got to do with you and Faith? Why are you defending her?" Willow asked her beautiful girlfriend.

Now, in spite of Kennedy and Willow's most sincere efforts to keep their tempers under control, Kennedy lost it and blurted something she had resolved not to say just yet- strongly resolved. "My Sister is NOT a Retarded Slut!" Kennedy all but screamed at her girlfriend. Willow's mouth dropped open in sheer shock, and before she could respond, Kennedy continued with the "Lovers Quarrel" they'd been having about the bullying Faith had been having at the hands of the locals in the house. Now, Kennedy was always temperamental, and getting more so rapidly with the material at hand. She had always been outspoken, and rather brutally honest, so she was Openly willing to call people out when she felt that they'd crossed the line. "She's had some serious problems in her young life, and yes, I love her intensely, so I'll thank you to avoid bullying her again." at the hurt look on Willow's pretty face at her angry remarks, Kennedy continued quickly "Sorry, Love. I'm just really very protective of my big sis, I am certain you can understand."

"As I am with Xander." Willow said, nodding slowly. Kennedy understood, she loved Xander too, almost as if he was her brother, and resolved that if she ever made it big in terms of money, she'd invite him to her place to engage in hostessing to him as an act of charity. She felt that loving others was always something that brought joy to her heart, and providing food and drink in adequate quantities to guests was absolutely an act of love, or so her religion of childhood told her.

"Wait a minute, Willow, you love Xander as if you two are brother and sister, don't you?" Kennedy asked to verify what her lover had said., before continuing to say "Then why do you hate Faith so much, this is beyond any kind of turning against your friends, so what happened that made you hate my sister so much?" Kennedy asked, now as confused as Willow had been in regards to Kennedy's attitude of insisting on defending Faith from any attacks.

"Round about the time she had accidentally killed a man while on a patrol, then blamed my best friend, Alexander went to try to talk to her, and well" Willow paused, clearly uncomfortable with the material she had to reveal. The pause led Kennedy to ask "What happened?" Willow responded quickly, effectively blurting out "she raped him." Kennedy's right hand flew to her mouth in horror at the thought of her sister doing something so extremely evil- her hand had gone to her mouth as if she were about to blaspheme the Lord's Name in shock over this horrible activity, and didn't want it to come out. "She was brutal." Willow said, clearly offended by what Faith had done to a man she loved more than life itself, especially since he'd saved her soul, and her woman's life- from being murdered at Willow's hands!

Now it finally registered what Kennedy had been trying to get across to Willow. "Wait a minute, Kenn! Faith's your sister?!" she asked Kennedy, shocked.

Kennedy then sighed, and started to explain. "You have to swear to me that you'll let me broach this topic with Faith. Don't bring this to her attention at all, let me do it. Do you so swear?" Kennedy asked Willow solemnly to promise her that Will would have to promise to leave this matter between Faith and Kennedy. To which Willow nodded and responded "Yes." "Very well." Kennedy began "During my father's early days, he met Faith's mother, who was working as a 'working girl', they were young, and well, had what had been previously called a 'dalliance'. I hadn't been conceived yet, yes, Willow, Faith's the elder one of us, Faith was conceived as a result of an act of fornication between my father and her mother before either one was wed." "So she's actually a 'bastard girlfriend' in more definitions than one…" Willow realized out loud. Kennedy nodded, then continued her sad story, but had a smile on her face about finding her lost half-sister. "Faith's mommy and my daddy married different people, and never spoke to one-another again. I only found out later on that Miss Lehane is, in fact, my sister, or half-sister. I have half the exact same relationship between myself and Faith that Dawn and Buffy have." Kennedy explained. "So, that's why you're so protective of her." "That and because of all the problems she's had, in school and outside of it. I suspect it's because of her growing up in a gang neighborhood, and the high probability she was in a gang before Diana Dormer found her."

"Who was Diana Dormer, Kennedy" Willow asked her as Xander walked by. "Faith's first watcher, she indicated that Diana was physically torn apart by Kakistos before Faith came to Sunnydale." Kennedy explained. "She also has trouble with honesty, your sister, that is." Xander explained to Kennedy. "Like I said, it's a good bet she was in a gang, there are a lot of them in South Boston." Kennedy said with tears in her eyes. At which point: Xander sat down to the Latina's left and placed his right hand on the middle of her upper back to reassure the woman whom he thought was about to cry that it'd be ok.

After wiping her eyes of the tears, post a few moments of crying, Kennedy said her deepest desire towards Faith to her friends. "When I do make myself financially independent, I intend to provide for her, free of charge." Kennedy explained between bouts of tears regarding how unjust life had been to Faith. She had set her heart to fixing the injustice Faith had suffered at her life's hands.

A few hours later, Kennedy and Rona were helping eachother with the drying the dishes, and Kennedy let slip her desire to help Faith, and to right the injustices inflicted upon her half-sister to her best friend. Rona had her towel on her right hand and Kennedy's towel was on her left hand, they were passing the dishes kind of back and forth with Kennedy to Rona's left. "Why do I get to be the Princess? I mean, _**she's**_ the elder one! Shouldn't Faith inherit the family's resources?" Kennedy asked Rona, sure the Latina loved the resources of the position, she was merely concerned that while she got everything, Faith was left high and dry, without any food or drink other than what she could steal… it just wasn't fair! It was clear to Rona as day that Kennedy was upset about this matter! "Don't worry, I'm sure things will work themselves out." Rona responded to Kennedy's questions.

"Thanks, Rona. You're a great friend. You know that, right?" Kennedy asked Rona with a smile on her lips, a grin of gratitude for reassuring her that things will turn out right in the end, and that the injustice done to Faith'll be righted. Kennedy knew then that she could always count on Rona to assist her with matters of the heart, and about justice.

**Author's Notes End Chapter 1:**_ Next Chapter will have more Faith/Kennedy, possibly having Kennedy reveal their secret past to Faith, and revealing her hunt for her sister, and how many issues Faith's childhood has left the damaged woman with._


End file.
